In the Shadows of Mars
by Syphon01
Summary: A divergent TL in which humanity discovers the Shadows presence on Mars two centuries before the babylon % TL


In the Shadow of Mars

On the 25 January 2004, MER-B Opportunity over shot its landing site and came down on the Syria Planum.

For those at NASA controlling the Opportunity probe the mission was already a failure. They decided to just let the probe explore and they would concentrate on Spirit.

The shadow battle crab had been dormant for a very long time.

Suddenly it sensed movement on the surface above it.

Wondering what it could possibly be it powered up some of its systems and detected a primitive robotic rover crossing the surface above it.

It scanned its protocols and deemed it an unsuitable contact and powered down again.

On the 29th March 2004 Mars Exploration Rover – B, (MER-B Opportunity), is crossing the Syria Planum when its sensors go haywire for several minutes.

The junior mission controller on the graveyard shift didn't know what to do.

He picked up the phone and started to dial his supervisor when the sensors of Opportunity started functioning again.

He though this is strange and had the Opportunity stop while he performed a full systems diagnostic.

The Shadow Battle Crab noticed that the robotic probe had stopped right above it.

It wondered that perhaps it had damaged it when it had powered up, so it decided to use its secondary systems to scan the probe again.

To the Battle Crab it seemed that all is in order with the probe and it powers down to its dormant state again.

The junior mission controller was amazed.

The interference had come again and then died away just as quickly.

This wasn't a natural phenomenon.

This time he did call his supervisor.

His supervisor wasn't happy being dragged from his bed by an excited controller at 3.15am in the morning.

When he saw what his controller had discovered, he too made a phone call.

By 5.30am on the 29th March everybody of importance in NASA was either at the Kennedy Space Centre or was on secure video links.

The point of discussion was unavoidable.

Opportunity had twice detected artificial interference to its sensors on Syria Planum.

Something was on Mars and it wasn't of human construction.

A decision was made for the MER-B Opportunity to dig at its present site.

It would continue to dig until it ran out of power or it discovered what made the interference.

Sean O'Keefe the Administrator of NASA informed every body that this was now top secret and could not be discussed without the approval of the President of the United States.

Then with a heavy sigh he cut his video link and rang the Presidents Chief of Staff to organise an immediate meeting with President George W. Bush.

President George W. Bush was not in a good mood.

He hated being woken early, even if it was by only half an hour.

What Sean O'Keefe informed him of left him flabbergasted.

President Bush says, "Sean are you telling me that there are little green men on Mars?"

Sean replies, "No Mr President! I'm merely stating that something artificial in nature interfered with the sensors of the MER-B Opportunity probe twice.

I have ordered the rover to dig in the same location as the interference until such time as it discovers something substantial, it runs out of power or you order otherwise."

The President nods and says, "Keep me informed and for God's sake don't let this leak."

Sean replies, "Yes Mr President!"

The Battle Crab noticed a disturbance in the soil above it.

It determined that the little robotic probe was trying to dig down to it.

If the Battle Crab could smile it would have.

The probe's operators seemed determined to find it.

The Battle Crab thought for a moment and decided to help in its chaotic way.

It powered up its beam cannon and started to fire it at a low power setting.

It wasn't trying to free itself it was merely creating a small entrance way for the probe to reach it.

At NASA pandemonium broke out when the first laser beam broke the surface twelve feet from the MER-B Opportunity probe.

It was soon discovered that whatever had used the lasers or particle beams had carved an easily navigated pathway for the Opportunity to descend so that it could find what had made the opening.

After much debate the President finally ordered that the Opportunity be sent down the hole to find what had made it.

Opportunity's cameras did not reveal much and as it touched the object everything went dark

The Battle Crab studied the probe it was primitive in the extreme.

It didn't think its creators would stop now that they knew it was buried here so it contemplated what to do.

Chaos was a fundamental doctrine that it would follow.

It studied the machine and decided that it could be used as a relay to its creators.

It then sent simply mathematical equations back to the probes creators and then waited for their response.

At NASA the response was one of amazement when the mathematical formulae were discovered in the transmission.

This was proof that there was intelligence out amongst the stars.

In a briefing to President Bush NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe says, "Mr President, I'm afraid that the evidence is undeniable.

There is a sentient life form buried under the Syria Planum on Mars."

President Bush replies, "Well what do we do about this?"

Sean O'Keefe replies, "It is quite simple Mr President, we send a large manned mission to Mars!"

President Bush nods his agreement and says, "Yes, but there is a condition.

This is now a military program that NASA will support with its maximum effort."

Sean O'Keefe the NASA Administrator merely nods his agreement.

He knows even if the President doesn't that many NASA programs that were voted down by Congress because of their cost will now have to be funded.

Over the next decade the world watched and wondered what the USA was up to.

The changes were astounding in US policy.

The US military declared the war on terror over and withdrew their troops from their deployments across the globe.

US investment in space infrastructure skyrocketed and nobody could miss that the US government was building a large spaceship in orbit.

Conspiracy theories when overboard with some claiming aliens had been discovered, while others claimed that a planet-killing asteroid had been detected on a course for Earth.

The US government ignored the alien theories mocking any reporters who brought the issue up.

What made the reporters very suspicious was the fact that whenever the asteroid theory was brought up, government spokesmen changed the subject.

The world press was sure that the asteroid was real and a threat to the continued existence of life on Earth.

While this was going on the USA had a constant flow of space launches both into Earth orbit and to Mars much to the consternation of the other government of the world.

Other governments became suspicious when their astronomers could not locate any potential asteroids that posed a threat to Earth and started their own programs in an attempt to counter the USA one.

While they had not detected any asteroid their astronomers did confirm that space was very large and it only took one person to find the needle in the haystack.

One United Nations representative asked bluntly if the spaceship being built was an Arc to ensure the continuation of humanity.

The US representative made no comment on this issue.

Since the arrival of the robotic probe the battle crab had revelled in the glorious chaos of the probes creators.

The transmissions coming from the third world of this star system showed wars of conquest and retribution being fought across the globe.

Unfortunately it could not interfere in the development of these humans because of the agreement.

It could only interfere if the humans came to it for answers.

And that is exactly what it appears that the strongest faction on this world intends.

The Battle crab had not initiated any further contact with these humans.

The humans however bombarded it with questions on a daily basis.

Because of the agreement it couldn't give the humans substantive answers.

However if a human came and merged with it, then the humans had chosen their side and the battle crab could then assist these humans.

The battle crab had studied these humans and had determined that they were a very primitive aggressive race, yet they had vibrancy for life that very few matched.

The chaotic aggressive nature of these humans made them appear to have the potential be the perfect client race for its creators.

They just had to be guided in the right direction, as their very nature will take them the rest of the way.

The Battle crab was pleased in the discovery of the young primitive aggressive race.

Perhaps they have finally found a race that could in time counter the Minbari.

The Battle crab enjoyed this thought.

The delicious irony of a world slightly too primitive for the Vorlons to have meddled with to any large degree could prove their undoing or at the very least that of their Minbari vassals.

All through the naughties (2000's) the USA continued to launch materials and equipment into Earth orbit.

As the completion date of the Enterprise neared the US government started shooting secret payloads into Martian orbits.

By the time this started the rest of the world didn't know what the Yanks were up to but they were starting to have grave doubts about American intentions.

Nobody else had found a killer asteroid, yet the yanks had spent enormous amounts of money in what now appeared to be a manned mission to Mars.

It now became clear that one of the NASA probes had found something on Mars.

Before the rest of the world could insist on being included in the mission, the Enterprise broke orbit for a six-month high-energy journey to Mars.

As the Enterprise streaked towards Mars, there was outrage at the United Nations as it had now become apparent that the USA had discovered something on Mars and was making an all out effort to get it for themselves.

It looked to the rest of the world like the USA had spared no expense to secure this discovery for themselves even the essential mortgage of their entire economy.

The battle crab had kept its creators informed of these humans and their actions.

The Shadows were pleased that the humans had expended so much money and resources in their effort to reach the battle crab.

It also delighted them that these humans have disregarded all the risks of their primitive technology just too seek out the battle crab.

The battle crab was given specific instructions at to what it could and couldn't do with these humans.

In the mean time the Shadows themselves started to stir, not for war for which they are no where near ready for, but instead to prepare to uplift a civilisation which had much promise.

All the humans had to do was to ask for their assistance.

The Shadows hoped that they had finally found a race that had the potential to counter the Minbari.

When the Enterprise reached Mars, preparations went into full swing.

The rest of the Earth was aghast when the crew of the Enterprise unveiled a space plane to be used for landing on Mars and then returning to the Enterprise in orbit.

This was all the proof that the rest of the world needed that proved that the USA planned to stay on Mars and take proprietary ownership in what they discover.

The Battle crab observed the arrival of the US human faction with glee.

If it could smile it would have at the outrage of the other factions and the threats of war if the US faction didn't share their discovery with the other factions.

The crew of the Enterprise checked all the beacons to reassure themselves that all the material and equipment that had been sent to Mars had arrived.

Once it had been confirmed that the fuel supplies both in orbit and on the surface had arrived safely along with the food, prefabricated dwellings and excavation equipment, Colonel Derek Matherson sent his report to Earth that phase one was complete.

Once this was done he turned to his team and said, " Ok, phase one is now complete. The landing party is to assemble in the space plane.

Phase two is now a go.

Lets make history of being the first manned mission to another planet that is not our own moon.

Good luck and good hunting."

The Mars landing went without a hitch.

Only a skeleton crew was to remain on the Enterprise, which unfortunately included the mission commander Colonel Derek Matherson much to his annoyance.

On Mars, scientists and engineers immediately went to checkout MER-B Opportunity and discovered it deep under ground.

None of the scientists or engineers could under stand how MER-B Opportunity had continued to transmit back to Earth as it solar cell collectors couldn't generate any power underground and the transmitter didn't even have the ability to transmit through solid earth.

On the surface of Mars Major Melanie Green had started the tasks necessary to establish mankind's first permanent base on another world.

First to be set up were the prefabricated facilities followed by a small but powerful isotopic reactor.

Once the base was well underway the excavating equipment started their tasks.

The excavators had two functions, the first and most important of course was to gain easy access to the anomaly.

The second was equally important.

The spoil from the excavation was to be dumped on top of the prefabricated facilities to provide extra protection against radiation and other hazards caused by a weak thin atmosphere.

As the USA's actions on Mars became more and more secretive opposition to the USA's unilateral action increased to include some of the USA's oldest and closest allies.

As the weeks passed and the excavations got closer and closer to the anomaly the world was on tender hooks.

The battle crab observed the actions of the humans with interest.

They were stubborn and tenacious in their determination to uncover it.

Even the equipment they had brought to excavate it intrigued the battle crab.

The machines were self-contained, robust and nuclear powered with the capability of working for years without being refuelled.

Once the battle crab felt the light strike its armoured hull it knew that it was about to change destiny.

It powered up its sensors in the anticipation that once again it will have an organic central processing unit and would be fully functional once again.

Once this has happened then it can get on with its task in uplifting this young race so that it can fulfil its great potential.

Major Melanie Green and the rest of the expedition stared in awe at the massive shimmering black hull of the anomaly.

Yet it was an anomaly no longer. It was a large black strangely crab shaped vessel.

As Melanie stared at the ship she felt a primal fear race through her body.

She knew that it was only a psychological reaction to the unknown.

As she stared at the strangely crab shaped craft she turned to the rest of the expedition members and said, "Get the inflatable dome in place Now!

We want to start the research as quickly as possible."

As the expedition ran to obey her instructions Major Melanie Green smiled, she knew that this vessel would hold the answers to fundamental questions that had eluded humanity for centuries.

Melanie personally couldn't wait to touch that shimmering black hull with her unprotected hand just so that she could feel the tactile qualities of the hull.

In the week since they had uncovered the vessel Major Melanie Green still held it in awe.

Now that the inflatable dome had been erected Melanie could finally touch the vessels shimmering black hull without a glove.

Major Green had used her prerogative as the surface commander to be the first to touch the vessel.

Major Green stood with the expedition's scientists and engineers as she moved towards the vessel.

When Major Green touched the vessel's hull it shimmered under her touch.

To her is seemed the surface of the vessel seemed to be frictionless as her hand just slid over the surface with no sense of impediment.

The battle crab felt the touch on its hull.

It ran through all of its permutations for first contact and deemed this to be the initial first contact by the humans.

The battle crab ran though its options and decided to let fate decide.

After all chaos breeds strength, that is a fundamental truth in the universe.

With this thought it opens its entry hatch and waited to see what these humans would do.

After all if curiosity killed the cat, then apathy stymie development.

There was a gasp of excitement from the scientists behind her.

Major Green looked up from her study of the hull to see an entry hatch open forty feet away from her.

All the scientists were rushing towards the hatch.

To try and stop the scientist's mad rush to the hatch she shouted orders for the scientist to stop.

When her orders were ignored Major Green charged at the scientists and crash tackled the first group of scientists.

The battle crab observed the fight and thought, "Yes! Strength through conflict."

The battle crab wouldn't interfere in the dispute.

The winners would be determined by what happened next.

Major Green was really angry and pulled out her sidearm and fired two rounds into the ground right in front of the squabbling scientists.

This action instantly stopped the fight.

Major Green then shouts, "This is a military mission and I will be the first to enter the vessel to ensure that it is safe."

With this said Major Green step though the hatch and into the unknown.

Melanie stepped into the vessel to discover a dark dimly lit interior.

To her it appeared to be some sort of autonomous drone.

There were no visible crew positions that she could determine.

While she stood there taking in her surroundings she felt something flow over her feet.

Melanie looked down to see a black morass flowing up her legs.

The last thing the scientists outside heard from Major Green was her scream of terror.

The battle crab observed and analysed the actions of the leader.

The use of a primitive projectile weapon to get her point across impressed the battle crab immensely.

The direct application of force to enforce the will of the leader and her authority to command was proof to the battle crab that chaos and strength through conflict were ingrained in humanity.

As the battle crab scanned the memories of its new pilot it learnt much about humanity.

The battle crab also learnt that these humans valued their independence.

This caused the battle crab some issues, as it needed a pilot to be its CPU for its higher functions.

The battle crab decided that it needed a pilot but only when it was required to be fully operational.

The battle crab makes a decision, one that will effect the future of the relations between its creators and these humans.

It told Melanie that it had placed nanites in her body to repair the damage done to her body by prolonged exposure to limited gravity.

The battle crab also informed her that it needed a pilot so that it could be used to its maximum potential but it would let Melanie choose if this is something that she would want to do.

With this said Melanie is released from being encased inside the battle crab.

As Melanie stands in the dimly lit interior she hears a voice in her head say, "The choice is yours, choose wisely. Strength through conflict."

Colonel Derek Matherson was speaking with Major Green, "Let me get this straight Major! You essentially merged with the alien vessels central processing unit."

Major Green replied, "Yes sir! Even though it is a sentient machine apparently its creators built in the need for a pilot that apparently has to plug in directly to the vessel via a neural interface.

I got the strangest impression from this vessel.

It seemed glad and impressed by humanities abilities.

It also gave me the distinct impression that its creators were willing to assist in uplifting our civilisation.

To me it seemed that all we have to do is ask for their assistance in plain and concise language."

The Colonel contemplates what Major Green had said and then asked the missions chief medical officer, "Doctor? How is Major Green?"

The doctor replies, "Major Green does have what appears to be some sort of biomechanoid implant in her brain stem.

The major does not appear to be under the influence of the alien vessel.

Physically Major Green is in far better condition than the rest of us on this mission.

It appears that those nanites that were introduced into her body by the alien vessel have repaired all the damage that Major Green's body has endured during her life.

It has also regenerated the loss of bone density caused by the prolonged exposure to a low or zero gravity environment."

Colonel Derek Matherson says, "Thank you doctor, I'll inform Earth and wait on their decision.

Until that decision is received nobody apart from Major Green is to enter the alien vessel."

The battle crab had learned much since it had merged with this Melanie Green.

It had learnt of the divides between the human subdivisions and of humanities glorious history of conflict that had driven its technological development forward with each passing conflict.

It knows the human's level of technology and what it could provide to immediately increase the abilities of their current technology.

Now the battle crab just had to wait for humanity to commit to whose doctrine it wanted to take in its development.

Colonel Derek Matherson was not surprised by the US government's decision.

He informed Major Green to return to the alien vessel and request any and all assistance in advancing humanities technology.

What did surprise Colonel Matherson was the order for the Enterprise to return to Earth with a skeleton crew so that it could reprovision and take another contingent to Mars.

Colonel Matherson ordered all the surplus supplies to be sent down to Mars along with all the non-essential personnel.

As this was done he checked the progress of the Atlantis that had left the Earth only a week before.

Even with the fastest route to mars, because of the orbital dynamics, Atlantis was still seven months away from Mars.

Colonel Matherson wondered what would happen in the six and a half months the mars mission would be cut off with out the ability to return to the Earth.

Colonel Matherson made a snap decision that all crew members of the Enterprise and the Mars mission would visit the alien vessel to get the same nanites that Major Green and now most of the Mars expedition had received.

The battle crab was pleased.

All the humans had now visited it and had received the nanites.

It was now time for it to bring in reinforcements.

The battle crab suggested to Major Green that she take it to Ganymede to release the other battle crab in this system.

They would then both return to Mars so that the other battle crab could get an organic CPU of its own and then their mission could start in earnest.

The battle crab had been informed that its creators were pleased.

They were so pleased in fact that they had dispatched some other ships, non military ones, to assist in uplifting the this young race.

The ships that were coming to Mars were bearing technology and other gifts for humanity.

All that humanity had to do to receive these gifts was to ask and to commit to continue on their present course of seeking strength through conflict.

This fleet would also bear others able to communicate with humanity face to face as representatives of the Shadows.

Major Green was amazed by the power of the alien vessel.

She didn't know what powered it but the available energy seemed to be limitless.

When the alien vessel asked if she could assist it in releasing another one that was buried on Ganymede she was only too glad to help.

Major Green was not surprised by the speed it took to get permission to travel to Ganymede to retrieve the second alien vessel buried there.

Major Green was astounded that it only took a few hours to travel Ganymede.

She was gob smacked when the retrieval of the second alien vessel and the return to Mars with both alien vessels only took a total of twenty hours.

She wished that Earth had that ability.

In her head she heard a seductive whisper say, "ask and you will receive."

The second battle crab quickly gained its new organic CPU.

Once this was done the two battle crabs discussed what additional actions to take.

Their creators were on the way with gifts of technology for those humans willing to embrace chaos theory and strength through conflict.

After a lengthy discussion between the two battle crabs it was decided that the second battle crab would travel to this earth and bring volunteers to Mars.

The EU leadership jumped at the appearance of a battle crab in Europe with an offer to take volunteers to Mars so that they could help establish relations with its creators.

The Battle Crabs showed no preference with whom which they contacted.

By the time the Atlantis was only weeks away the international contingent on Mars was only slightly smaller then the US one.

President Barack Obama was standing at Area 51.

He was very nervous as he waited.

He was about to meet the machine entity found on Mars and will then be taken there to meet with representatives of its creators.

Major Melanie Green stepped out of the Battle Crab and saluted the president and the other VIP's.

As the party boarded the Battle Crab they realised that they were really going to travel off world to meet with a representative of this vessels creators.

To say that the delegation was nervous was an understatement; they were about to travel to Mars.

As he boarded the vessel President Obama felt a slight sense of dread.

Then before he knew what was happening a seat had formed for him to sit on.

On Mars, President Obama stared in awe at all the strange ships in orbit of the planet.

The strange ships in orbit he could understand, kind of.

The being he was introduced too not so.

He had introduced himself as Ruaidhri of the species Taratimude, a techno-mage.

The techno-mages were a religious order used by the creators of the vessels, The Shadows.

It was explained that because of their physiology could not show themselves to the humans yet.

This is because the Shadows resembled creatures that induced primal fear in humans.

Ruaidhri would remain on Mars and would call for volunteers to join the techno-mage order.

Ruaidhri then advised all the representatives that there were gifts of technology in the ships orbiting the planet.

To receive the gifts there was only one condition.

Any who sort the Shadows favour had to send their own ships to receive any gift.

With this said the Battle Crabs started to return the representatives to Earth that they had brought.

A number volunteered then and there to join the techno-mage order.

The rest returned to Earth to pressure their governments to speed up the construction of their own space ships so that they could receive the gifts.

The US government knew it could not go this alone.

President Barack Obama decided it was time to call in old friendships.

In Washington DC the leaders of Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Israel, Taiwan and Australia would meet with the USA and form a new alliance.

The Shadow technology Alliance would share what the USA and the other member states received from the techno-mages to build a powerful new power block.

As time went on other states in central and South America would join this alliance as well.

This wasn't the only power block.

The European Union that Great Britain had been kicked out of because of its veto of a new EU treaty formed one power block.

Russia and China went their own ways, as did India.

The Shadows watched the growing power blocks in glee, they knew that soon there would be war and the strongest would survive.

Strength through conflict and chaos was about to make humanity far stronger then the Vorlons could possibly imagine.

While the humans made their own plans, Ruaidhri the techno-mage followed the plans that the Shadows had laid out.

A jump gate is built near Mars for the Humans to use.

Before the humans gained free access to the jump gate first they had to prove themselves worthy of journeying amongst the stars.

Over the next few years the human nations and power blocks built more and more ships at vast expense so that they could get gifts from the Shadows.

Strangely it wasn't until the Indian ship Vidyut arrived at mars that Ruaidhri was asked the question about the possibility of finding worlds that could be colonised.

The Indians were told that there were plenty of worlds that could be used for the purpose of colonisation.

The readily available worlds were all on the Galactic rim due to a past extinction event.

The only issue was that India would have to build the colony ships and landing craft themselves as the Shadows could not assist them with this.

Ruaidhri did advise that once the ships were constructed and brought to Mars he would allow the Indians the use of shadow transports to ferry the colonists from India to Mars.

Unfortunately the Shadow transports could not be used to transport the colonists to the chosen world.

This stricture seemed strange to the Indians but the Indian government theorised that galactic politics were probably involved in this decision.

As the other countries and power blocks built up their positions on earth, India built massive ships to prepare for their colonisation effort.

While India built colony ships in open view of the rest of the world and all the required equipment needed to relocate a large percentage of their population the rest of the world poured vast amounts of money and resources into securing their positions on Earth.

It was only when the first Indian colony ship left orbit did the rest of the world catch onto the Indians plans and started to follow suit.

Unfortunately tensions were rising on Earth.

It would only take one small spark to trigger world war three.

Greed and belief in there own self-importance would be the trigger that would start the last Great War on the Earth.

The Shadows themselves just watched humanity and waited.

The Shadows were extreme believers in Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest.

The Shadows just watched the human's actions in fascination.

Axioms like "live by the sword or die by the sword or you only live once" littered the human vocabulary.

Most of these humans lived for now and didn't seem to bother contemplating about tomorrow.

To the Shadows these humans lived in a constant state of chaos and the Shadows bathed in the light of its magnificence.

The techno-mages themselves found the Earth a very fertile place for their order.

The concept of freedom of religion allowed them to form their own religion, the Church of Technology.

The techno-mages found themselves swamped with people not only wanting to worship at their church but also many who wanted to join the techno-mage order for various reasons of their own.

The Church of Scientology was furious with the Church of Technology.

When the Church of Technology disproved the whole basis of the Scientology religion, more than half the members of the Church of Scientology defected to the Church of Technology.

This mass defection was not the Church of Scientology's main problem.

The real problem was that with their fundamental religious dogma being disproved, they were stripped of their status across the globe.

In Europe and the United States the Church of Scientology was even prosecuted for racketeering.

Nearly the entire Church of Scientology leadership would end up in prison including a large number of well-known celebrities.

The Church of Scientology in a last ditch effort into survival even tried to arrange a merger with the Church of Technology.

The techno-mages however turned them down flat.

When David Miscavige the leader of the now defunct Church of Scientology started making threats towards the techno-mages, Ruaidhri the chief Techno-mage cast a spell on him that locked him into a nightmare created by his own Id.

It was a nightmare that David Miscavige would never escape from.

David Miscavige's condition became a medical enigma.

The doctors treating him studied his condition for years yet no treatment regardless of how drastic was ever able to relieve his pain.

David Miscavige would eventually scream himself into insanity that he would never recover from.

Despite pleas from the medical professionals, Ruaidhri and the other techno-mages would never say what they had done to David Miscavige.

A side effect of the David Miscavige case was that no techno-mage was ever attacked in any manner or form.

It quickly became known that it just wasn't worth fucking with a techno-mage.

World war three started in 2035 just as the first Indian colony ships reached their chosen colony world.

China started the third world war with its Asiatic power block members trying to right what they perceived were historical wrongs done to them.

China had organised an alliance involving many countries with grievances against the other power blocks or those that had missed out on the bounty the Shadows had provided.

The alliance stretched from the Asia Pacific Rim to Africa.

The Chinese attack plan was simple.

They aimed to open so many fronts so as to overwhelm the USA so that it didn't know which of its allies or power block members to support.

In the first days of world war three, orbital kinetic weapons followed up with land invasions smashed Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Even Indonesia took part in the conflict with dreams of grandeur and conquest invaded East Timor and Papua New Guinea.

Unfortunately their attempted invasion of Australia was an abject failure beaten back by allied air and naval interdiction.

The commencement of the pacific war soon sparked renewed conflicts in Africa, Arabia and the Asia sub continent.

Even some members of the European Union participated with Greece invading Cyprus and attacking Istanbul.

Italy in a desperate bid to end its debt woes invaded Libya in the hope of regaining its former colony for its oil reserves.

These actions caused the European Union problems as Greece in particular had invaded a non European Union member who was unfortunately an important ally of the United States in the region.

World war three would last for three and a half years and would see the virtual destruction of both Korea's, Greece, Pakistan and Iran.

Indonesia and China of the major powers in the Asiatic power block would be devastated by massed orbital kinetic weapon strikes that would see them left in ruins.

Russia destroyed Iran for its complicity in encouraging jihad in Russian territory.

Seeing that the third world war was already under way Russia decided to deal with Iran once and for all time.

Like China Iran was destroyed by orbital kinetic weapons.

Unlike the democratic alliance which even though they had bombed China's industry and military infrastructure back into the Stone Age, Russia didn't stop its destruction of Iran until every single city, town and village in Iran had been had been destroyed.

The follow on ground invasion was merely a coup de gras to the history of Iran.

By the end of the war Iran was a shattered wasteland whose population had been reduced to a fraction of its former self.

It would be decades before it was in any position to reach for the stars and when it did its religious mania would lead to its undoing.

For the most part China fared better than its other allies did in the war.

Most of its civilian deaths were caused by collateral damage caused by the destruction of China's industrial infrastructure, which included the three gauges dam and other major economic targets that were destroyed to cripple the Chinese war machine.

Even the Chinese last ditch nuclear strikes that took out most of the US government in Washington DC did nothing other than increase the animosity felt towards china.

World war Three would result in the deaths on nearly three billion people mostly in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, South West Asia, Arabia and Africa.

In the European Union Greece lay in ruins smashed by the rods from god used by the USA in support of its ally Turkey.

The EU refused to assist Greece and it shared a similar fate to that of Iran.

Italy of all the aggressors in the war came off the best as its invasion of Libya was partly successful even if they did find themselves once again fighting a guerilla war like they did the first time they controlled Libya.

Still the remaining oil deposits they seized went far to assisting to remove their debt problems.

The Shadows watched the war with great interest.

The unrestricted use of orbital kinetic weapons with out any consideration of there effects on the human home world impressed the Shadows.

What impressed the Shadows more was the fact that the humans had managed to fight a major global war yet had managed to avoid destroying themselves.

The Shadows were starting to believe that they had finally found a race that could match or exceed the abilities of the Vorlon's lackeys the Minbari.

India had taken heavy losses in the war but their best and brightest had survived on Mars and their new colony world.

India approached the techno-mages for assistance in dealing with radiation induced injuries only to be told it was not a problem. Ruaidhri the chief techno-mage merely stated, "Flesh does what it is told!"

The massed use of nuclear and kinetic energy weapons in the third world war has serious consequences for the Earth.

Especially as many of these weapons were used on Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia.

This was unfortunate as these countries sit on the tectonic zone known as the Ring of Fire.

As a consequence of these weapons use, a massive increase in tectonic movements and volcanic eruptions around the Ring of Fire made many regions nearly unlivable.

Knowing that the tectonic and volcanic activity would only increase before settling down again, other nations follow India's example and seek out colony worlds of their own.

The Shadows and the techno-mages were only too happy to assist the Humans to expand into unclaimed regions of the galactic rim.

The great migration of humanity had begun.

By the time the great migration has finished the population of the Earth will be less than one billion people.

With the reduction of the Earth's population, its environment will start to recover and in the future will be considered their Garden of Eden that has to be protected regardless of the cost.

In the future Humanity will protect their home world from exploitation with the zeal of a crusading army.

Heaven help anybody that tries to take the Earth from the control of humanity.

Now that humanity has left the cradle of their home world, they start to expand across the outer rim.

The expansion into the devastated galactic outer rim did not come with out cost.

Wars were fought over the best worlds and access to the most resources.

All the while this was going on the Shadows were there encouraging humanity and providing them with gifts to build their technology and strength.

The Shadows may believe in chaos but they are also patient, as they know that humanities aggressive tendencies will allow them to take their rightful place as a leading race amongst the younger races.

It was not up to the Shadows to tell humanity what to do

The Shadows will not tell humanity what they can or can not do.

That choice is up to humanity.

Any decision is humanities, it is up to humanity to choose wisely or pay the consequences for their actions.

When the Vorlon returned to perform their next round of genetic manipulations on humanity in the 2050's they were aghast in surprise by what they found.

Shadow derived technology was everywhere in the human home system.

Worse still there were two Shadow battle crabs with human pilots.

Kosh was stunned.

The circle was broken.

Kosh was about to object to the Shadows actions when he received a message from one of the battle crabs, "The humans have chosen they our now one of ours!"

Kosh reviewed the data the battle crab supplied.

It was unequivocal; the humans had sort out the Shadows and had cast their lot in with them.

Kosh and Ulkesh turned their ships around and returned to the Vorlon Home system to report the breaking of the circle.

To the Vorlons it seemed as if the Shadows were gloating over finally having broken the circle.

Just an hour after the Vorlons left the Sol system, humanities first heavy cruiser utilising Shadow derived technology arrived to gain the approval of the battle crabs.

Its shimmering black hull seemed to drink in the light as it cruised towards Mars.

Since humanity set forth amongst the stars to colonise the out rim region of the galaxy, its population has boomed.

Earth and the Sol system were declared neutral territory, unclaimed by any nation or power block.

As humanity spread across the dead worlds of the outer rim, it discovered the remnants of other civilisations and their technologies.

The Shadows explained that these civilisations died during the great extinction.

When quizzed what caused these extinctions the Shadows merely said, " The Vorlons experimented with things best left undisturbed."

Humanity mused that even though the Shadows were giving them the answer to their questions. There was no real explanation as to the how or why it had happened.

Nor were they told not to follow the Vorlons research.

It seemed to the humans that the Shadows were willing to let Humanity make its own mistakes. But the humans also knew that the Shadows wouldn't rescue them.

The Shadows were firm believers in evolution and that only the strongest survived.

Humanity had to learn to fend for itself.

If humanity destroyed themselves then they weren't suitable to being a major power.

The Drakh watched humanities growth with envy and distaste.

They knew humanity was now their master's favourite race.

Yet the Drakh didn't dare strike out at the humans in case their masters took humanities side.

The Drakh knew that they had failed their masters in the last Great War.

If they could strike at the humans with impunity they would, to help their masters prepare for the next war and prove their function to their masters.

Yet the Drakh couldn't risk the Shadows displeasure and so they watched, waited and plotted to prove that they are the most suitable race for their masters.

As humanity continued to build its society a loose political alliance started to form.

At first the Allied Earth Alliance consisted of the USA its power block partners, the European Union and India.

With in a few decades Russia and the African federations also joined the AEA.

Eventually even the Asiatic power block joined this alliance.

This alliance didn't stop the internecine conflicts of humanity but these conflicts were reduced.

The Allied Earth Alliance had discovered that they didn't really need to fight fellow humans for resources and colony worlds.

This was due to the fact that there were plenty of uncontested systems up for grabs and if necessary the Allied Earth Alliance members could always conquer the other alien civilisations that they had been told about if they were strong enough.

The Shadows continued to support the humans with technology and provided advice, as the human's own technology continued to develop.

On the one hundredth annerversity of the discovery of the battle crab on Mars, The Shadows finally showed themselves in their true form to humanity.

The hysteria and denouncements of the Shadows didn't faze them.

Hate and fear bred strength.

In the more authoritarian sections of the Allied Earth Alliance the Shadows were welcomed with open arms.

This was especially true when the Shadows supported the plans of China and Russia to conquer weaker alien civilisations.

The Shadows merely said it was the natural order of things for the strong to dominate the weak.

As the Shadows interacted more closely with the humans they grew more pleased by humanities aggressive tendencies.

Even the assassination of a Shadow by the Iranians didn't faze the Shadows.

They just sterilised the Iranian colonies and continued their interactions with the rest of humanity.

The Shadows actions did however convince the rest of humanity that the Shadows weren't to be trifled with.

The rest of humanity learnt this lesson well and no further attempts were ever made on the Shadows.

Humanity had decided that the Iranians had been a pain in the arse for years and were no great loss.

The rest of humanity did however just divide the Iranians systems amongst themselves and continued their development to become the strongest of the youngest races.

Humanities resourcefulness and creativity impressed the Shadows.

No better example of this was humanities first dreadnought battleship.

Nobody thought the Shadows in ecstasy built such large overpowered and over-gunned vessels like the humans.

At humanities current rate of progress and growth human ships might even be a match for the Drakh and the Vorlon lackeys the Minbari in a century or so.

The Shadows savoured this thought in glee.

Humanity had exceeded all their expectations and they had finally managed to break the Vorlon's vicious circle that the galaxy had been trapped in.

Now it was up to humanity to develop as they saw fit and find their place in the Galaxies political structure.

One thing however the Shadows were certain of was that if one of the younger races bar the Minbari tackled the humans now they would be in for a world of hurt.

The Vorlon home world was in an uproar.

The circle was broken.

Humanity the other half of the Minbari had chosen the Shadows.

Now all of history was in flux.

Kosh was appalled by humanities growth out on the galactic rim.

The Shadows had hidden humanities progress well.

Kosh knew that the Shadows had noticed the Vorlon ships.

The last message from the Shadow battle crab had been simple, "The next time we will win!"

Kosh wasn't sure of this.

In fact for the first time in millennia Kosh was unsure of everything.

The uncertainty of the situation galled him.

The Vorlons always win.

The Vorlons always have.

Now that the circle is broken Kosh is not certain of this any more.

What is worse is the fact that humanity continues to grow technologically, economically, militarily and worst of all humanities population was exploding.

It was this last point that worries Kosh the most.

The Vorlons had manipulated the Minbari genome to the extent that human interbreeding was required for the Minbari to survive as a race.

Now that probably won't happen as the Vorlons have planned.

Unfortunately the Minbari had reached the proverbial rubicon.

The Minbari needed humanity for their continued existence as a race.

The problem was that humanity didn't need the Minbari.

Kosh returned his attention to the on going debate.

Ulkesh was petitioning for an immediate attack on humanity to remove the cancer from the circle.

Kosh counters this argument by saying the Shadows have been active with humanity for more than a century.

The Shadows are ready for war even if humanity is not.

This won't be a war between vassal states for long.

This plan will lead to direct conflict between the Shadows and the Vorlons,

Are you all certain that this is a war we can win?

In the end Ulkesh's proposal was defeated. Just!

His other proposal to monitor and match the Shadow build up was approved.

Kosh was concerned.

A direct conflict between the Vorlons and the Shadows would devastate a large part of the galaxy just like what had happened when they had opened the gate for the third space aliens.

On the Australian colony of Victoria some strange ruins have been discovered.

These ruins cause great excitement as they are unlike any previously discovered ruins on the outer rim.

What was discovered drifting in the rings of the forth gas giant in this system even more so.

It is a ship nearly intact but open to space from bow to stern.

At 2400meters in length and massing an impressive 150 million metric tons it was obviously a warship and a powerful one at that.

The Allied Earth Alliance had shared many technologies discovered on the dead worlds on the outer rim.

This would not be one of them.

Only the alliance of democracy would get to study this vessel and then so only the USA, Great Britain and Australia would know of its existence for the first twenty years of its discovery.

The strange alien ship discovered in the rings of a gas giant was an enigma to humanity.

Very early on it was discovered that the technology of the ship was very advanced and unlike anything humanity had seen before.

It appeared to be even more advanced than that of all known Shadow technology.

This theory was taken with a large grain of salt as all the Allied Earth Alliance members assumed that the Shadows weren't providing humanity with their cutting edge technology.

The proof of this was evident in the way the Shadows had exterminated the Iranians.

To the rest of humanity it was surprising that the Shadows had reacted in that manner.

The consensus was that the Shadows did it to prove their superiority over humanity.

The Shadows were a strange and fascinating race to the humans.

They didn't try to civilise humanity or even dictate what humanity could or couldn't do.

Humanity assumed that the Shadows were assisting humanity for their own unknown political agenda.

To the Allied Earth Alliance it was Ok with this for now, for as soon as the Shadows were no longer required humanity would sever the Shadows apron strings.

It never occurred to humanity that just by using our basic aggressive tendencies we were fulfilling that Shadows goals whether it was done in the Shadows name or not.

Researching and reverse engineering of the strange alien ship would be a long and drawn out process for humanity but the time and effort put into the project would eventually bear fruit in the long run.

The first technology derived from the alien ship would be a type of energy shield used on ships and fixed installations but other more destructive technologies would be developed over time.

By 2156 humanities population had surged past the pre world war three population level.

Humanities population wasn't the only thing that had surged forward over the years.

Humanities technology had blossomed in no small regard to the Shadows and the strange alien ship.

In the Sol system Earth has become a garden paradise whose permanent population only numbered in the millions.

Most of these residents of the Earth were either politicians or public servants associated with the Allied Earth Alliance.

In Earth force headquarters an alert warning issued.

A strange alien ship has entered Allied Earth Alliance space.

The Centauri could not believe their luck.

They had found an unclaimed system with a habitable world in the life zone.

Before the Centauri can count their profits a warship appears directly in front of the Centauri vessel.

The IJN Sutāfaia (Star fire) notices the alien ship appear in the system and proceeds on an intercept course for the alien vessel.

The Centauri Captain is stunned by the strange ship's appearance.

This system is not unclaimed but a home world system of an unknown race.

Sending their first contact protocols the Centauri wait on a response from the unknown race.

Captain Isoroku Yamamoto goes through the first contact information received from these Centauri and sends a first contact package of their own back to these Centauri.

Captain Yamamoto turns to his communications officer and says open a channel to these Centauri.

The Centauri stare at the images of these humans in awe when he realises that these humans look superficially a lot like the Centauri.

The Centauri Captain has a thought and smiling evilly says, "Welcome brothers!

We have been looking for this lost colony of ours for a long time now."

Captain Isoroku Yamamoto replies, "You are mistaken captain, sensor readings indicate that there is only a superficial resemblance between our peoples.

Now what is your purpose here?"

The Centauri Captain pauses, his opening ploy has not worked but he now knows that these humans have excellent sensors.

He turns to his own sensor officer and asks for details on the humans and their ship.

The response is not what he expected.

The Centauri Captain shouts, "What do you mean it does not appear on our sensors?" with a hint of fear in his voice.

He then returns to the conversation with the human captain and says, "Sorry! It just that we look so much alike I thought I had found our lost colony.

We Centauri propose that diplomatic and trade relations be opened between our two great peoples."

The response received from the Allied Earth Alliance is positive to the Centauri proposal.

The league of Non-aligned worlds was weary of these humans, when the Centauri introduced them to them.

The Vree in particular were unsure of these humans, as they were sure these were the same species that they had been visiting for years.

Some members of the league felt a shock like dread when they first saw the shimmering black hulls of the human warships.

Fortunately for humanity its merchant fleet was built with conventional materials, as Shadow technology was expensive to produce and that level of protection was deemed an unnecessary requirement for a merchant hull.

The fear the Human warships produced slowly dissipated amongst the League of non-aligned worlds at humanities merchant fleets vibrant trading.

This situation was helped by the fact that that the human warships were so scarce and rarely left human controlled space that many in the league of non aligned worlds have never seen a human warship.

2166 was a turning point for humanity.

This was the year that the Drakh – Human war started.

The actual fighting of this war would last for two years with the death toll for humanity equalling or exceeding that of humanities last great internecine war, the third world war.

One effect this war would have was to unify humanity as never before.

It also made humanity far more militant and reactionary as humanity realised that they could not depend on their friends: be it the Shadows, Centauri or other members of the league of non aligned worlds for their protection.

The Shadows watched the change in humanities outlook with delight.

The Drakh had brought out in Humanity what the Shadows had been trying to encourage in them since they had discovered humanity.

The Drakh had been building their forces and planning their conquest of humanity for years so that they could prove to their masters that they are their rightful heirs as masters of the dark ones and not those up start humans.

The Drakh thought that this war would have one quick surgical strike against the human colonies and then humanity would fold under the might of the Drakh's forces.

Unfortunately the Drakh didn't know of humanities high technology development centre at the Australian colony of Victoria.

The energy shields on the human warships and orbital facilities came as a rude surprise to the Drakh.

But they were not nearly as surprising as the new antimatter pulverisers that humanity had developed that were used to decimate the Drakh attack fleets.

About the only thing that went right for the Drakh in the opening phase of the Drakh – Human war was the use of biogenetic weapons on the human colonies.

The Drakh would pay a very heavy price for this success as the war dragged on and more and more human warships were commissioned and commenced operations with Earthforce. They were instructed to join in the search for the Drakh.

The retribution war against the Drakh had commenced.

The Drakh retribution war would not so much stop as fizzle out as the Drakh went into hiding to prevent humanity from destroying them.

The Drakh – human war would not end for many years but a kind of armistice would be in place as the Drakh and humanity played hide and seek with one trying to hide while the other was searching with the intent to destroy.

This war would burn into humanities psyche the need to finish any enemy involved in a war with humanity.

In future wars, humanity would show no pity or remorse to its enemies.

All wars would be fought to the death.

In any war situation humanity would not stop not ever until all its enemies were dead.

In the end there can be only one winner in any conflict.

The Shadows were stunned when they discovered that Humanity had a nearly intact Third Space alien dreadnought and was utilising technology developed from the Third space alien ship.

For a while the Shadows wondered if perhaps Humanity had discovered the lost third space jump gate and were relieved when one of their battle crabs reported the third space alien dreadnought in human controlled space.

The Shadows were horrified yet delighted that humanity had the Third Space Alien Dreadnought.

The scans from their Battle crab showed that humanity had tried to repair the vessel but the repairs came nowhere near what the intact dreadnought was capable of.

Still the fact that humanity had reversed engineered parts of the Third Space technology showed the Shadows that they were right to encourage humanity.

If the Shadows gain nothing else from humanity's uplifting they will at least still have humanities chaotic nature as a permanent representation of the Shadows philosophy.

Many of the Alien races in the League of non-aligned worlds were afraid of if not outright terrified of humanities rapid technological progress.

No single member of the league attempted to prevent or impede humanities search for the Drakh.

On Minbar there was a stirring in the warrior caste for an immediate attack on the new dark ones disciples.

The only thing that stopped an immediate attack on the humans was the fact that they were currently fighting the Drakh.

The consensus of the Minbari Grey Council was to let the dark ones destroy each other.

This was a decision that the Minbari would come to regret in the future.

For the first time in millennia, representatives of the Shadows and the Vorlons meet to discuss the current situation in the galaxy.

The principle topic for discussion is the human's possession of third space alien technology.

Both the Vorlons and the Shadows were disappointed by humanity, all be it for totally different reasons.

The Shadows were disappointed because humanity had showed no inclination to attempt to conquer and dominate the other races.

Humanity seemed happy to just expand their holdings in the unclaimed outer rim of the Galaxy.

For the Vorlons they were disappointed that Humanity had decided to follow the path of the Shadows and their dark disciples.

One thing both the Vorlons and the Shadows agreed on was that humanity needed to be watched very closely least they turn on their elders.

Humanity continued to search the depths of space for any indication of the Drakh's presence.

Humans had become common members of the interstellar trading community.

It was quite common to see human, Vree and Drazi ships in the same trading centres.

As trade continued to grow between humanity and the other alien races the Allied Earth Alliance decided that they needed a centralised trading outpost as the majority of human worlds were far out on the outer rim of the galaxy.

The solution to this problem was the Babylon project.

The Babylon project was an immense space station that would be built in the Epsilon Eridani system to facilitate trade and diplomacy between humanity and the other alien races.

To make that station more appealing to the other races Shadow armour would not be used in its construction but some other Shadow and other alien technologies would be incorporated into its design.

The Babylon station would open in 2204 exactly two hundred years since Opportunity first discovered the Shadow Battle crab.

When the Babylon station opened all the league of non-aligned worlds sent trade and diplomatic representatives.

Even the mysterious Vorlons and Shadows sent ambassadors.

The Minbari shunned the invitation to join the community of space faring nations preferring to remain in isolation.

The Minbari were alone in their stance as even the warlike Dilgar sent a representative whose function was mostly to spy and gather intelligence on the other nations.

This wasn't particularly unusual as every representative species had spies on the Babylon station to look after their affairs and their people's own interests.

The Shadows wondered why they had never tried this direction before.

They had always operated in the shadows or through third parties.

Now out in the open in the Babylon station they had already instigated a war between then Narns and the Drazi.

The Shadows were content with how this new direction is going for their philosophy.

The Shadows on the Babylon station threw all the best parties and encouraged the other races to indulge in their various vices.

The Shadows casino and entertainment venue was actually paying for their presence on the station with some profit left over; to be sent home to help grow their fleet.

The Humans didn't seem to care what the Shadows did on the station as long as they obeyed the allied earth alliance laws and paid the human taxes.

The Vorlons watched the Shadows actions and fumed.

The Shadows were using the younger races baser instincts to win their acceptance.

The Shadows new open policy was undoing the programming the Vorlons had built into the younger races genetic codes.

Still all was not lost.

Humanity had unified as never before, even if they were an aggressive militant society.

The only problem the Vorlons saw was that Humanities technology was now a match for the Minbari.

The Vorlons knew that at the rate the Humans were building their fleet to fight the Drakh the humans would soon be a military match for the Minbari as well.

When the war came between the Minbari and the Humans, the outcome was now uncertain to the Vorlons.

This unnerved the Vorlons no end indeed.

The Babylon project was a raging success for both humanity and the Shadows.

Even a Drakh surprise attack on the Babylon station in 2209 did nothing to impede humanities progress with its interstellar affairs.

If anything the display of firepower from the Babylon station and the Earthforce ships in system in response to the Drakh attack only encouraged the other alien races to seek closer relations with humanity.

After having seen for themselves first hand what a threat the Drakh posed many league of non-aligned world members overcame their fear of Humanity and allowed Earthforce ships to actively search for Drakh presence in the space they controlled.

All had heard of the terrible losses that the humans had suffered at the hands of the Drakh and were fearful of being dragged into a larger war.

Yet Humanity seemed to be growing stronger and it wasn't wise to annoy them.

The Shadows were not idle on the Babylon station either.

The Shadows were out in the open for the first time in millennia and their philosophy was thriving.

The Shadows dispensed favours and technology to any that asked at prices that were considered reasonable in the extreme.

Even Warmaster Jha'dur of the Dilgar was a frequent visitor to the Babylon station to seek the council of the Shadows.

One effect of the Shadows presence on the Babylon station was a military build up of unprecedented scale.

By far the largest builder of military vessels was Earthforce.

The Drakh had shown Earthforce and humanity in general that a strong fleet was not only just for prestige but essential for humanities protection.

One obvious sign of the change in Earthforce philosophy was the stationing of an Earthforce battle squadron.

This battle squadron consisted of one carrier; three dreadnoughts, six heavy cruisers and twelve destroyers were stationed in orbit of Epsilon III near Epsilon system. These ships were stationed here for the protection of the Babylon station and that of the essential trade with the other alien races that humanities required.

2216 saw a change in luck in the war against the Drakh

It started on the Babylon station when a low-level functionary in the sanitation department wondered why Earthforce didn't just ask the Shadows where the Drakh worlds were.

Gregory Symons went to the Shadow casino and entertainment venue and spent several hours there drinking to gain dutch courage.

After several hours drinking he finally saw a Shadow, run up to it and demanded to know where the Drakh worlds were.

He was surprised when the Shadow returned half an hour later with a list of all known and suspected Drakh possessions.

The Earthforce Intelligence division was stunned the next morning when a very under the weather cleaner presented them with a list of all known and suspected Drakh possessions.

It had never occurred to anybody in Earthforce Intelligence to just ask the Shadows if they knew where the Drakh were.

Earthforce intelligent was very embarrassed by the cleaners action and went about organising a reward for him

Gregory Symons would in the aftermath of the Drakh worlds destruction be promoted to Chief sanitation officer of the Babylon project and would never need to buy a drink an any earth bar as he was the one who pointed Earthforce's vengeance fleet towards the Drakh's worlds.

With the list of Drakh known and possible possessions in their hands, Humanity found and glassed the last Drakh base world known to either humanity or the Shadows.

The Drakh were left as a homeless nomadic band of gypsies unable to lay down roots in case humanity found them again and destroyed them in their entirety.

The Drakh could find no one willing to assist them or to supply them resources and the league of non-aligned worlds and the other races were far too scared of humanity to consider assisting the Drakh regardless of the potential profits.

These races were concerned that humanity might turn their wraith on them if they found out that they were assisting the Drakh remnant.

The Drakh had become wondering nomadic gypsies mining asteroids and comets as they eked out a subsistence level existence.

Londo Mollari was amazed when he arrived at the human trading outpost known as the Babylon Station.

He was there as a junior trade official at this important trade centre.

Londo was stunned when he walked past a techno-mage temple and saw dozens of these mysterious beings.

He had always been told that being in the presence of a techno-mage brought good luck,

Humanity had always had stupendous luck and now he knew why.

Humanity had a very close relationship with the Techno-mage order.

Londo made a point to inform his father of this association in case he didn't already know.

As Londo walked past bars, gaming venues, houses of ill repute and all sorts of other entertainment venues Londo knew that this Babylon station was the place to be for a young man.

Londo smiled and decided to tell his friend Refa all about this place of golden opportunities for a young man or even a man young at heart.

The Narn – Drazi war had ended in a stalemate with no real victor in the conflict.

The Shadows were pleased.

The animosity between the two species was at an all time high.

Both species had sort out the Shadows for more technology that they hoped would give them the edge in the next war.

Little did the Shadows, Narns or Drazi know that the next time they fought they would be unlikely allies on the same side instead of being the opponents that they were currently.

The early 2220's were a time of prosperity with a strong under current of greed and aggression.

When the Dilgar attacked the league of non-aligned worlds on three fronts many of the league members were caught unaware.

Not Humanity or the Shadows however.

Both of these had been assisting the Dilgar in their preparations.

Both the Shadows and Humanity had been monitoring and encouraging the Dilgar military build up.

The Shadows were proud of humanity.

They had sold the Dilgar lots of technology and surplus equipment safe in the knowledge that humanity was safe from Dilgar aggression out on the outer rim.

The Shadows thought that humanity truly was a worthy successor to them.

Even the Shadows hadn't thought of deliberately building up a young and aggressive species like the Dilgar knowing that they would use that military build up to wage war on their neighbours.

The humans did this not only for profit but also as a way to keep the other alien races beholden to them.

It was a masterful strategy and worthy of the Shadows themselves.

The Dilgar war would last until 2234 when losses on all sides forced them to accept a Human sponsored peace treaty.

The Dilgar were the nominal victors after the signing of the Proxima treaty as they got to keep the six worlds they had captured and used Shadow derived plagues to exterminate the current inhabitants.

The Dilgar paid a bitter price for their victory.

The massive fleets they had constructed for the war were all but destroyed.

So heavy were their losses that they had to lease human transports to bring some of their population to the new worlds before Omelos' star went supernova.

Even with the human assistance however the Dilgar lost over half their population and the majority of their industrial capabilities to the supernova.

The Dilgar were now in the unenviable position of having to do the humans bidding so that humanity would protect them from the other members of the league of non-aligned worlds who wanted nothing less than the annihilation of the Dilgar for their war crimes.

Humanity too bore the wraith of the league of non-aligned worlds.

Many of humanities former trading partners placed embargoes on the Humans for their actions in the Dilgar war.

Yet none of the league members ever threatened humanity with war.

They knew that if they did humanity would probably destroy them and if humanity was feeling generous they might allow the Dilgar more of their worlds if a suitable price were paid.

The league of non-aligned worlds had finally realised that with humanity everything had a price.

Even those wanting humanities friendship.

When the Dilgar started their war of conquest few knew why the Dilgar had commenced a war against so many.

Only Humanity and the Shadows knew what drove the Dilgar.

During the Human – Drakh war humanity had built some very special ships.

Because Humanity knew that the Shadows had discovered their possession of the Alien dreadnought that they would come to know as the third space aliens, humanity approached the Shadows for their assistance in building a very special type of ship.

The Oracle class ship was a specialised intelligence-gathering vessel utilising the very best of both Shadow and the Third space aliens technology.

Specially adapted Shadow armour gave it a near aura of invisibility that linked with the thirds space aliens computer and sensor technologies made the Oracle class vessels second to none when it came to stealthy intelligence gatherings.

Dozens of these vessels were constructed to spy on friend and foe alike.

One of the Oracles even managed to penetrate the defences of the Vorlon homeworld, through Earthforce intelligence was later forced to ask the Shadows for assistance in deciphering the Vorlons cryptic communications.

The Oracles were a raging success for Earthforce intelligence discovering the economic and military plans of friends and foes alike.

This enabled Earthgov, which represented the Allied earth Alliance to the rest of the galaxy to make economic windfalls by being able to offer what the other races wanted.

It was the Oracle class ship "Homer" that discovered the Dilgar's war plans.

The Homer also discovered exactly why the Dilgar were on this path to war.

Humanity could have offered to assist the Dilgar in relocating to a dead world on the outer rim of the galaxy but humanity considered all this territory as belonging to them.

Instead after consultations with the Shadows humanity used its knowledge of the Dilgar's plans to essentially turn them into a vassal race of humanity.

As the Dilgar's war for survival became more and more brutal with neither side holding back or giving an inch from their respective positions.

Both sides displayed the resolve to fight this war to the bitter end.

No quarter was given in this conflict as biological, chemical and nuclear weapons were used freely by both sides of the conflict.

Even a surprise Narn – Drazi attack on Omelos using mass drivers didn't stop the war.

The Dilgar didn't get angry at this attack on their homeworld. They got even.

Shadow derived plagues were unleashed on the Drazi and Narn homeworlds by the Dilgar killing billions.

Yet as abhorrent as this tactic was by the Dilgar, it was immensely effective as the losses disrupted the economies of the two major military powers in the league of non-aligned worlds.

The loss of supplies and industrial potential enabled the Allied Earth Alliance to step in and supply equipment and materials to all the combatants while at the same time providing the Allied earth Alliance with the creditability to push forward their peace proposal they would become the Treaty of Proxima.

Even though the Treaty of Proxima would return peace to the galaxy, the Dilgar would forever be pariahs to the league of non-aligned worlds and the eternal enemies of the Narns and Drazi.

Only the protection of the Dilgar's new possessions guaranteed by Earthforce under the Treaty of Proxima allowed the Dilgar to survive.

When Omelos' star went supernova the Narn and the Drazi celebrated and partied rejoicing at the Dilgar's losses.

The Shadows watched this glorious conflict and were pleased.

So much anger and animosity carried by all the races involved in the war could only in time lead to more conflicts.

The Shadow ambassador was visibly preening and gloating over the successes of their ideology whenever he met his Vorlon counterpart.

This annoyed the Vorlon's no end and they started making plans to strike back in the galaxies great game with a vengeance.

The Vorlons were concerned with the growing damage to the circle.

They needed to change the situation and quickly.

Kosh approached Dukhat, the head of the Minbari Grey Council and told him that the Minbari had to abandon their isolation if the darksiders were not to win.

After much discussion it was decided by the Grey Council to send a diplomatic mission to the Human Babylon Station to assist the Vorlon ambassador already in place.

The decadence and depraved perversions of this Babylon station appalled Delenn and Lennier.

To them it appeared as if this Babylon station was built to cater to every vice and perversion that any race desired by the Humans and their Shadow masters all designed to win people over to the Shadows philosophy.

While the Religious caste was working with the Vorlons to win back races to the Vorlons perspective the warrior caste started sending ships into contested space and the league of non-aligned worlds to find out the depth of human and Shadow influence. The Warrior class was at the same time trying to determine the weaknesses of Earthforce.

The Warrior caste was stunned when they discovered just how powerful the Humans had become.

Soon as the prophecies predicted Humans and Minbari would fight and then they would become one.

The aftermath of the Dilgar war saw relative peace return to the galaxy.

All be it a peace where all the races were preparing for war.

Major military build ups started as the league of non-aligned worlds and countless other races swore never to be caught unprepared again.

Thus began preparations for the resumption of the war or preparations for the individual races dreams of conquest.

The Dilgar were in an invidious position.

Even though they had managed to save their races from almost certain extinction, the worlds they took were underdeveloped and the Dilgar economy shot by the expenses incurred by the Dilgar survival war.

The situation was so bad that the Dilgar military lost power to the industrialists who wanted to redirect any excess funding above basic needs to be spent to develop the Dilgar economy and not spend on rebuilding the military.

For the military trained Dilgar this left them with little to do.

When the Allied Earth Alliance offered to recruit a Tiger Corps to be developed that would consist nearly entirely of Dilgar using mothballed Earthforce equipment.

Many in the Dilgar military jumped at the opportunity to continue to ply their trade even if technically they would be mercenaries in the employ of Earthforce under the Human banner and guidance.

The Tiger corps would play important military roles in future human conflicts.

Dukhat was concerned by the reports he received from Delenn and Lennier.

The humans were an even greater threat than the Vorlons had led the Minbari to believe if the reports from Delenn and Lennier were correct.

The main problem for the Minbari was that the warrior castes didn't believe the reports coming from the religious caste. They continued to antagonise and goad the humans to do something about their intrusions into human controlled space.

The Windswords clan was the worst of the warrior castes deliberately sending Sharlin and Tinashi class ships into human controlled or protected territory with the intention of provoking humanity into war.

Dukhat ponders what he knows of these humans.

The humans have clearly been influenced by the Shadows but unlike the despised Drakh humanity clearly aren't a servant race of the Shadows.

Dukhat ponders this point.

Humanity clearly does their own thing.

They saved the Dilgar when they could just as easily let them die.

They have also taken other races under their wings and protected them without asking for a single thing in return.

The Hyach were weary of humanity.

This however didn't stop them visiting the Babylon station and partaking in the entertainments offered on the station.

As fights between the various races were common place on the Babylon station many members of the various alien races eventually ended up in the Babylon stations medical facilities.

What these individuals didn't know was that whenever an alien was brought into the medlab their DNA was sampled for the Allied Earth Alliance xeno-biology division.

The xeno-biology division was created out of scientific curiosity of the alien races and a desire to know more about the alien races biology.

As the xeno-biologists continued their investigations of the aliens DNA they discovered unusual mutations amongst all the alien races but the really shocking find was when they were comparing the Alien DNA to humanities, the same unusual mutation were found.

Strangely the unusual mutations related to how the various races perceived others than their own kind.

The xeno-biologists came to the conclusion that these mutations were not caused by natural evolution but rather had been introduced in all the younger races.

The questions that were then asked were who and more importantly why?

One of the other alien races had indications of genetic degradation that indicated to the xeno-biologists that this race was slowly dying out.

The Xeno-biology division asked Earthforce intelligence for assistance in this matter and it was provided.

Any issue that could be used as leverage against another race was always of interest to Earthforce Intelligence.

The biggest surprise that came to the xeno-biology division was when Delenn of the Minbari was rushed into medlab after having been caught up and injured in a Drazi riot.

What the Xeno-biology team discovered from the Minbari DNA rocked them and Earthforce intelligence to the very core.

The Minbari were genetically related to Humanity.

This discovery was immediately declared top secret special access required.

The Allied Earth Alliance made this discovery the highest priority.

An investigation of the hybrid DNA found that there was a partial match in the human DNA database and that belonged to a junior Earthforce officer by the name of Jeffrey Sinclair.

Humanities investigations into the strange gene mutations raised more questions than they answered.

Some startling facts were however discovered.

Telepathy was also an introduced ability in many species.

The biggest issue raised by humanities investigations were the periodic wars that had troubled the galaxy.

These wars appeared to breakout every thousand years or so.

What was more disturbing to humanity was that these large wars seemed to match the times the Shadows came out of hibernation.

This wasn't the only issue to arise about the Shadows.

Another group of techno-mages had approached the Allied Earth Alliance and warned them that the Shadows were only using them to advance their own political agenda.

This group of techno-mages seemed hostile to the techno-mages and the Church of Technology that humanity had embraced and known for so long.

Before leaving this group of techno-mages warned the Allied Earth Alliance not to trust any of the remaining First Ones.

The Allied Earth Alliance examined its interactions with the Shadows and discovered that although humanity had made their own choices the Shadows had influenced Humanity in a certain direction.

It was much to Earthforce Intelligences surprise when they discovered that the Minbari were the favoured race of the Vorlons and had been pushed by the Vorlons to counter humanity or any other race uplifted by the Shadows.

Over the next few years the pieces of the puzzle would eventually form a coherent picture for Earthforce Intelligence and it was not a pleasant one for the younger races.

It appeared that both the Vorlons and the Shadows are playing some type of game with the younger races.

They draw the young races into their spheres of influence and then encourage them to wage war on each other's vassal races.

One young Earthforce Intelligence officer offered the theory that the Vorlons and the Shadows were so old and had done everything that they encouraged and orchestrated these wars for their own amusement and entertainment.

As much as Earthforce Intelligence wanted to dismiss this theory they could not disprove it, as it seemed to fit all the known facts.

Humanities investigations would continue for a few more years but other events would delay the investigation before it provided the windfall that would answer many of humanities questions.

Earthforce and the xeno-biology division had discovered the Hyach's deep dark secret.

The knowledge that the Hyach had ruthlessly hunted down and destroyed a sub species of theirs called the Hyach-do in some kind of Nazi like pogrom shocked the humans that knew.

That the Hyach had lied and even rewritten their own history to cover up their genocidal crimes only made the Hyach come back into the field of the other races in the eyes of Earthforce Intelligence.

However Earthforce intelligence still needs to find something that they can hold over the Hyach.

In this Earth force Intelligence had a problem.

All the Oracle class intelligence gathering ships were already deployed on missions or were preparing for scheduled missions that were of too much importance to be bumped from the roster.

The lack of covert Intelligence gathering assets caused Earthforce Intelligence to think outside of the box.

Allied Earth Alliance merchant ships were regular visitors to most of the worlds in the league of non-aligned worlds and during a brainstorming session this point was brought up.

One Earthforce Intelligence officer then suggested that seeing that these merchant ships are generally welcomed and expected in many systems why not then use them as Intelligence gathering platforms as well as merchant ships.

It was decided to install Oracle standard sensors along with military grade shields, power and propulsion systems onto ships that were suitable.

It was assumed that the upgrades and tax breaks offered to owners of these vessels would prevent to many complaints about the vessels added duties.

The upgraded vessels were also listed as naval auxiliaries so that they would generally be protected from seizure from other governments.

It was one of these modified merchant vessels that discovered something unusual of the Hyach homeworld.

It was a mass grave in the permafrost in the frozen region of the Hyach homeworld.

Earthforce would over many months insert teams of xeno-biologists who would excavate the mass graves and discover the preserved bodies of nearly a thousand Hyach-do.

Further analysis of the bodies indicated that like the extinct mammoths of earth, the DNA of the bodies of the Hyach-do was still viable.

This would allow the xeno biology division of Earthforce intelligence to over time clone the Hyach-do.

All Earthforce intelligence and the Allied Earth Alliance needed to do was to discover what is the price of survival for the Hyach.

The Minbari Wind Swords clan was annoyed.

All of their attempts to provoke these humans into war had failed.

One young Wind Swords Alyt call Kathenn however had a plan

He had previously acquired the location and known defences of the human homeworld from the Vree and the Centauri.

Neither the Vree nor Centauri knew who had wanted this information nor did they bother to ask.

All they knew was that third parties were willing to pay large sums of money for this information.

Both of these races were only more than willing to provide this information as long as their terms were met.

They were.

Neither race knew that in providing this information would have profound effects on many nations, including there own.

Kathenn had a plan to force humanities hand.

This plan would leave humanity with the choice of responding to the Windswords provocation or in admitting that humanity was the cowards that Kathenn thought they were.

Both the Vorlons and Shadows were concerned about humanities progress.

To the Vorlons Humanity had grown too quickly with portions of their technology reaching First one levels.

The Shadows only had one problem with humanity.

Their problem with humanity was that humanity didn't really need the Shadows any longer.

Humanity still sort out Shadow technology but they didn't really need to as the continued to exploit and adapt third space alien technology for their own purposes.

For the first time the Shadows questioned their decision to uplift humanity.

It seemed to the Shadows that Humanity was following their own course rather than the one the Shadows had planned for them.

The Shadows were concerned that if humanity found out about the game Humanity might just have become strong enough to be able to stop the game once and for all time.

What purpose would the shadows and the Vorlons have if none of the younger races would agree to fight to prove which of their respective philosophies were correct.

The Hyach Ambassador to Babylon 5 had received an unusual invitation to visit the human's secret Xeno-biology divisions research facility on Epsilon Eridani 2.

What humanity was doing on that hot, barren, rocky inhospitable world nobody knew.

All that was known was that it was normally off limits to all except to those who worked there.

To receive an invitation to this secret facility was most unusual indeed.

The Hyach ambassador was stunned when he entered the facility and saw a Hyach-do in a transparent cloning tank.

Before the ambassador could say a word the Allied Earth Alliance representative took him by the arm and lead him past dozens then hundreds of cloning tanks all containing Hyach-do.

The Allied Earth Alliance Ambassador took in the shocked look of the Hyach ambassador and smiling to himself says, Ambassador, lets discuss your peoples future survival. We know that there is really no way that you could put a price on the survival of your people."

This statement was of course true for the Hyach but not so much for humanity who really could put an actual price on the Hyach survival.

It was just a matter of the Allied Earth Alliance discovering just how much the Hyach would pay for their survival.

The Allied Earth Alliance ambassador was under instructions to milk the Hyach for as much as he could milk them for.

Alyt Kathenn looked at the fleet his Windswords clan had assembled with pride.

Soon his preparations would be complete and he could start his crusade against the new dark ones disciples.

Alyt Kathenn thinks back to the meeting that was held between the Windswords clan and the Vorlon Ulkesh.

Kathenn and the Windswords clan had been assured that his quest was a holy crusade against the Shadows and the new dark ones disciples.

Ulkesh had even hinted that the Vorlons themselves would join the crusade when the time was right.

Kathenn thought that nobody could withstand the power of the Minbari, especially with the backing of the mysterious Vorlons.

Humanities colonies on the outer ring were expanding at a geometric rate as the Hyach terraformers started their work in reviving the dead worlds that humanity had discovered but were unable to colonise because of environmental conditions.

Humanities price to the Hyach was their terraforming technology and laser technologies.

The Hyach were surprised that these were the only things that humanity wanted for the cloned Hyach-do.

The Hyach-do clones were empty shells but the viable genetic material they contained was all the Hyach needed to revive their genome and ensure that they never face extinction again.

This time they won't make the same mistake and they will ensure that any Hyach-do that are born are kept safe and brought up as Hyach for the greater good of the Hyach race.

Alyt Kathenn was surprised by the capabilities of the human ships.

He hadn't believed the rumours of just how powerful human ships were.

Now he believed, he had lost twelve Sharlins to the three human ships in the Sol system and he hadn't even taken his fleet to Earth and dealt with Earths orbital defences.

Kathenn was starting to doubt the course of action he had committed his clan to, yet now the die was cast and he had to follow through with the plan.

Kathenn was appalled by his losses.

More than half of fleet his had been destroyed and all the others damaged to one extent or another by the Earths orbital defences.

Yet his mission had been a success all be it being achieved at enormous cost.

Kathenn watches as the Earth burns as his remaining ships continue the orbital bombardment of the Earths surface.

The Earths orbital defences had been impressive but the planetary shield came as a rude shock to the Minbari.

Kathenn watches as yet another barrage from his fleet impacts the Earths surface.

Suddenly once of his junior officer informs him that jump points were opening.

Kathenn smiles that at least this portion of his plan had gone as he had envisioned.

Kathenn watches as the Earthforce ships start to exit their jump points and arrive in earth orbit.

He thinks, "Too late humans! I have planned for this."

With this though Kathenn orders all Minbari ships to jump out of Human home system leaving no doubt in Humanities mind that it was the Minbari who was responsible for this act.

Humanity was incensed by this wanton act of aggression and was determined to return the favour.

The Allied Earth Alliance declared war on the Minbari Federation.

On the Babylon station Lieutenant John Sheridan leads a troop of GROPOS towards the Minbari diplomatic mission.

Sheridan grabs a mouthy corporal named Garibaldi and says, "Remember Delenn must be taken alive so that she can be interrogated."

Garibaldi nods his understanding of the order as he leads his squad in the storming of the Minbari mission.

Lennier is worried and fearful for the safety of Ambassador Satai Delenn.

He can't protect her forever and the Humans seem determined to seize her.

Neither he nor Delenn understand why the humans are acting this way and assaulting the Minbari diplomatic mission.

Lennier thinks that they will only get Delenn over his dead body, which unfortunately for him is what happens when he is hit by no fewer than nine PPG rounds.

As he lies dying on the ground he sees Delenn being dragged from the room.

Lennier tries to push himself up from the ground only to be kicked down again by Garibaldi who says, "Goodbye Bonehead! Enjoy hell!"

The last thing Lennier thinks is why do the humans now seem to hate the Minbari.

His train of thought is interrupted by Garibaldi's PPG as he repeatedly fires it into Lennier's head.

Delenn has been under interrogation for over fifteen hours.

The Humans seem to be getting more and more irritated by her denials of any wrongdoing by her people.

Finally they activate a view screen and show her the unmistakable pictures of Minbari ships firing on a defenseless planet.

Delenn pails as he notices the distinctive emblem of the Windswords clan on a Sharlin as it fires yet another barrage at the world.

Delenn stares in horrid fascination as the world burns under the Minbari bombardment.

She knows that no matter what she says she won't be believed.

After all who would believe that one of the clans of the warrior caste would deliberately strike at a human world to provoke a war?

Delenn starts to try to explain that a rogue faction has committed this act but before she can get out more than a few words other interrogators come in with long tubes with metal prods on the end.

As the first electric shock rakes her body Delenn screams and screams as more and more shocks are applied to her body.

In the Minbari home system jump points form and dozens, hundreds and then thousands of ships surge into the Minbari home system.

Eventually fifteen thousand Earthforce ships will enter and destroy all before them.

General Fontaine watches as Minbar burns.

His forces are doing to Minbar what they did to the Earth.

The cost was not cheap.

General Fontaine has lost a third of his forces on this attack, but the Allied Earth alliance was determine to teach the Minbari a lesson.

The lesson is simple; you don't fuck with humanity.

On the Valen'Tha the Minbari Grey council stand and watch as Minbar burns.

Most of the Grey council can't understand why humanity is doing this.

One member, Morann however remains silent and keeps his secret.

Morann knows that their plan to provoke the humans caused this not that he would ever admit such an action.

Unfortunately it now appears that Humanity is a match for the Minbari and now it will be a battle of attrition as to who will control the younger races.

Morann only hopes that the Humans aren't as strong as the rumours say they are.

For if they are, then it is possible that the Minbari will be the losers in this war.

New Chapter 12/07/12

The chosen One Dukhat could not understand why the humans would have launched such a devastating unprovoked attack against the Minbari people.

Dukhat thinks to himself that perhaps the Vorlon Ulkesh is correct in his belief that humanity is a threat to peace and must be destroyed.

Dukhat wonders how his mentor the Vorlon Kosh could have been so wrong about humanity.

It didn't really matter now however as the Minbari people were at war and this war would be fought until there were no humans left after what they had done to Minbar.

The Drakh watch the Earth – Minbari war with great interest.

The great enemies' vassals the Minbari were fighting the upstart humans in increasingly bitter actions against each other.

The Drakh decided to sit back and watch the entertainment.

They would continue to rebuild their forces lost during this war and when they determined that the end of the war was near they would then strike out at the victors of the conflict and crush them like bugs.

The Drakh would thus prove to their masters that they are the true successors to the Shadows.

Shai Alyt Kathenn had more than doubts about this war.

He now knew it was a mistake and that he and his Wind Swords clan had been manipulated by the Vorlon Ulkesh to provoke this war.

The Wind Swords had taken massive losses in the war to date with more than seventy percent of their ships having been destroyed.

Kathenn wonders what will happen to him and his Wind Swords clan if it is ever discovered that he and his clan had orgestrated the war with the Humans.

Luckily for Kathenn he would never discover what would have happened as an oracle class spy ship had discovered the location of his fleet.

Forty minutes later Kathenn and his fleet were no more, having been reduced to nothing more than wreckage as humanities vengeance war against the Minbari continues.

Nine months after the war began Lt Commander John Sheridan had managed to convince his superiors that Ambassador Delenn had no fore knowledge of the attack on the Earth, which had truly horrified her.

As John Sheridan escorts Delenn towards the shuttle bay Delenn stops, and stands transfixed at a monitor showing ISN's non-stop coverage of the vengeance war against the Minbari.

Sheridan sees that Delenn is paralysed with grief when she sees a replay of the revenge attack on Minbar.

Delenn cries as she sees Minbar's glorious cities burn.

Sheridan notices a crowd starting to build and quickly picks up Delenn and carries her towards the waiting shuttle.

He then takes Delenn on an Earthforce shuttle to an area of space where the Minbari Command ship Valen'Tha could be expected to be at some point so that Delenn could explain what had happened to the Grey council.

When the shuttle is intercepted by the Valen'Tha, Delenn contacts the vessel and identifies herself before the shuttle taken aboard the Valen'Tha.

Delenn is then taken to Dukhat while Sheridan is thrown into a cell.

Dukhat is appalled when Delenn explains to him that it was the Wind Swords who started this war against the Humans with an unprovoked attack on the Human homeworld of Earth.

Dukhat realises that all the deaths and violence is the responsibility of the Minbari federation yet he wonders what part Ulkesh played in the Wind Swords action.

Dukhat is unsure how he could stop the war.

Humanity had responded to their unprovoked attack on the Earth with their own attack on Minbar.

From there the war had spiralled out of control.

Propaganda on both sides now made ending the war virtually impossible.

With the two most powerful younger races inviserating themselves with this war Dukhat knew that neither sides political leadership would listen to a call to peace from the other side.

For the humans this was especially true, as most of their political leadership had died in the Wind Swords attack.

Dukhat then realises that perhaps the Vorlon Kosh might intercede on the Minbari's behalf.

If Kosh could speak to the Humans or even Valen forbid the Shadows perhaps this great mistake can be corrected.

One thing Dukhat did do was order the release of this John Sheridan and instructed that he be placed in his shuttle and be allowed to leave for his honourable return of Satai Delenn.

The Earth - Minbari war would eventually last for two and a half years and would see the Minbari population reduced by more than sixty percent before the intervention of both the Shadows and the Vorlons would close down the war before both Humanity and the Minbari destroyed each other.

In the Grey Council Dukhat and Satai Delenn provided the information on how the war began.

Coplann and the Wind Sword came under immense pressure from the rest of the Grey Council to find the Humans, explain their actions and surrender to humanity to be punished under their laws.

Coplann stated to object to this when Dukhat announced that if they did not do this the entire Wind Swords clan would be expelled and expunged from Minbari society.

They would no longer be considered Minbari.

Unfortunately for the Minbari when the remaining Wind Swords ships locate a human colony on the outer rim and left hyperspace to surrender themselves to humanity. They entered the Home system of the United States of America.

This was unfortunate, as this system was also the single most strongly defended system in Human space.

None of the Wind Swords ships survived first contact with Washington's massive orbital defences.

The destruction of the remaining Wind Swords ships caused the Minbari government problems.

Humanity took the appearance of a Minbari fleet in one of the Allied Earth Alliance home systems as yet another attempt by the Minbari military to attack humanities population base.

The destruction of the remaining Wind Swords fleet in the Washington system only fanned the flames of the conflict.

Earthgov decided that the war with the Minbari would be fought to the bitter end to ensure that the Minbari were never again a threat to Humanity.

Earthforce was instructed to find and destroy all Minbari Military assets.

Peace would only be made when the Minbari agreed to surrender unconditionally.

The War would continue on the back of yet another misunderstanding between the two species.

Commander Sheridan is patrolling the Area he last knew the Valen'Tha to be.

Sheridan was determined to find the Grey Council and save Delenn.

Sheridan analyses the plan he had presented to Earthforce High Command.

Sheridan had been placed under the command of an up and coming star in Earthforce, Major Haig. Between his plan and Major Haig's Agamennon task force it is hoped that communications can be established between the Minbari Grey council and Earthgov even if the contact is informal.

The Agamemnon task force had been laying mines which had been carefully programmed to proximinity detonate when they detected Minbari ships.

Sheridan hopes to be able to disable the Valen'Tha and save Delenn before some other Earthforce ships found the Valem'Tha and destroyed it.

Sheridan wonders at his infatuation with Delenn.

He doesn't know how it came about but he wants her more than he has wanted anything before in his life.

The D'Vost was scouting a safe route for the Valen'Tha.

In the past the Minbari wouldn't have worried about protecting the Grey Council ship but the humans had proved very apt in killing Minbari Sharlin cruisers.

The Aylt in command of the D'Vost decided to jump into the next system close to the known asteroid belt.

This was a dangerous maneavour but he hoped that the close proximity of the asteroids would hide the D'Vost from any human sensors.

Unfortunately the Aylt jumped the D'vost into the system right next to a mined nickel iron asteroid, which promptly exploded.

The D'Vost was shattered by the dense fragments of the asteroid impacting its hull at high velocity.

The coup de grace was delivered to the D'vost by its hyperspace tap destablising and the dark star was destroyed by a blast of hyperspace energy.

The Aylt in command of the Valen'Tha was concerned.

The D'Vost was late in reporting in if the next system was safe for the Valen'Tha.

Commander Sheridan is monitoring the remote sensors in the Combat Information Centre of the Agamemnon.

He knows that a Minbari Sharlin class cruiser has been destroyed in a nearby system by the mines that he had placed.

Sheridan in certain that it wasn't the Valen'Tha and further more that the Valen'Tha must be somewhere nearby.

There are just too many Minbari vessels in the surrounding star systems whose missions appear to be to locate safe systems.

Commander Sheridan notices the loss of yet another Earthforce ship in the regions and approaches Major Haig and says,

"Sir! The Valen"tha is close by I can just feel it.

If we can manage to actually talk to the Minbari leadership, I know that we have a good chance to make peace.

This war has cost both sides far too much."

Major Haig nods and replies, "Do what you need to do commander to find the Valen'tha and I will back you up for what ever you have to do."

Sheridan nods and moves over to the communication consol and then starts sending an open message with a set of coordinates. He signs the message simply Sheridan.

Dukhat and Delenn discuss the message that has been received.

They knew that they have to do something to stop this war before all was lost.

Already half a dozen Minbari worlds had been destroyed including Minbar itself.

Even the Wind Swords attempted surrender had backfired and had confirmed Humanities belief that the Minbari were determined to target population centres and Humanity had responded in kind so much had been destroyed all in the name of pride.

Delenn says, "We must surrender and accept any terms that the Humans offer.

We started this war and the warrior caste assumed they we could easily defeat the Humans.

They were wrong!

If we don't surrender unconditionally the humans will destroy us.

We need to act and we need to act now before the Humans enforce a perminant solution."

Dukhat nods and for the first time in his life acts without consulting the rest of the Grey Council.

He order the Aylt in command of the Valen'Tha to head for the coordinates but not to have the weapons displayed or to fire any of the weapons regardless of any provocations.

When the Valen'Tha arrives in the nominated star system it discovers the AEAS Agamemnon waiting.

It then receives a message saying, "We need to talk! May we come aboard?"

Dukhat nods and says, "Reply Yes. And then prepare to receive the Human craft."

After the reply is sent, minutes later a human shuttle is heading towards the Valen'Tha.

Delenn and Dukhat meet the human shuttle when it arrives in the docking bay.

Delenn smiles slightly at John Sheridan when she sees him emerge from the human shuttle with two other human males.

Sheridan salutes Delenn and Dukhat and then says, "On my right is my superior officer Major Haig and to my left is our pilot Lt Sinclair.

We need to speak if we are to avoid a terrible tradegy."

Dukhat nods and indicates for the Humans to follow Delenn to his private quarters.

As Delenn leads off the party, Sheridan notices that Delenn has a very nice arse along with her pretty smile.

Dukhat ponders what the humans have just told him.

It appears that Humanity is stronger than the warrior caste ever dreamed of in their worst nightmares.

The Human message had been simple.

If the Minbari don't surrender unconditionally then the humans will destroy the Minbari.

Dukhat knows that this is a decision that he cannot make alone.

The Grey Council will have to approve the unconditional surrender but the warrior caste is determined to regain their lost honour by winning this war regardless of the losses they and the rest of the Minbari people suffer.

As Dukhat ponders this conundrum he notices the junior human shuttle pilot, pick up a triluminary.

Before Dukhat can say anything about being careful with his possessions the triluminary flares with a brilliant bright white light to the stunned amazement of all in the room.

All those present wondered why the item behaved the way it did, but Dukhat knew something that the others did not.

The triluminaries only react to the decendants of Valen.

His mind now ponders why a human had such a strong reaction to the triluminary.

He decides to research the issue further but the humans reaction to the triluminary has given Dukhat an idea as to how to convince the Grey Council to surrender unconditionally to the Humans.

Dukhat was stunned by what he discovered in the archives.

For the first time in his life he had broken the laws and opened sealed documents from Valen himself.

When he had first searched the archives he was very surprised when he saw one of the documents was actually addressed to the human shuttle pilot Sinclair!

He had broken the law by opening this sealed document and after he had read its contents he was speechless.

Sinclair was Valen!

Now Sinclair's reaction to the trilunimary has been explained.

It had also provided Dukhat with a way to end this stupid war with the humans without him having to tell the Grey Council the truth about Valen's origins.

The Grey Council was stunned when Dukhat revealed that studies of Human prisoners revealed some Minbari DNA was present in them.

This DNA was actually mitacondral DNA from Sinclair's maternal ancestors.

This left the Minbari Grey council in a quandary.

The highest stricture in Minbari society was that Minbari did not kill Minbari.

So if Minbari souls were being reborn in Human bodies then the Minbari were guilty of killing Minbari.

The vote of the Grey council was quick and unanimous.

The Minbari Federation would surrender unconditionally to the Humans.

If there was one good point to this problem was that the orgistrators of the war were already dead.

The Allied Earth Alliance and Earthforce were stunned when after some of the most brutal battles imaginable to date with the Minbari warriors, the Minbari government suddenly surrendered unconditionally.

All the remaining Minbari war cruisers and defence forces stopped fighting and surrendered to the human forces they were in contact with.

The strange thing for the Allied Earth Alliance was that the Minbari Grey council never told them why they suddenly decided to surrender.

It would remain an enigma as the records of the Grey council for the week leading up to the surrender suddenly disappeared.

In the aftermath of the war, when it became known that the Vorlon Ulkesh had encouraged the Wind Swords to provoke the war with humanity both the Grey Council and Earthforce Intelligence started to question their respective benefactors motives and intentions.

For Earthforce Intelligence they would start a major investigation into the actions of both the Vorlons and the Shadows both in the current environment and in the past.


End file.
